Jim Henson's Tale of Sand

by Jim Henson (Created by), Ramon Perez (Illustrator)

Overview

The Eisner Award-winning graphic novel adaptation of a lost screenplay by American icon Jim Henson.

Between 1967 and 1974, Jim Henson and his longtime writing partner Jerry Juhl developed three drafts of a screenplay for a feature length film called Tale of Sand.

It was during the development of the final draft of the screenplay that Jim Henson became involved in the production of Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, and he left the experimental filmmaking of his youth behind to concentrate on the creations that would in time make him a household name.

Tale of Sand has remained in the vaults of The Jim Henson Company ever since. It is the only feature-length screenplay written by Jim Henson that he was never able to produce during his lifetime.

Breathtakingly illustrated by Ramón K. Pérez (Wolverine and the X-Men, Jane), Tale of Sand was hailed as a groundbreaking achievement upon release, winning two Harvey Awards, the Joe Shuster Award, and three Eisner Awards including Best Graphic Album.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684153886
Publisher:	Archaia
Publication date:	07/09/2019
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	779,761
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Jim Hensen is best known for his work on the Muppets as well as his other creative works in story and film such as The Dark Crystal, The Storyteller, and Sesame Street. The humor and whimsy of his characters have continued to entertain generations of children over the past 42 years.

Editorial Reviews

Based on an unproduced feature-length screenplay by legendary visionary Henson and Juhl, this graphic novel follows its hapless protagonist as he is cast out into the desert by the cheerful Sheriff Tate for reasons as baffling to the unnamed hero as the reader. The scruffy hero is a pawn in a game whose rules are concealed from him, pursued across a surrealistic southwest U.S. by an implacable hunter and hindered by the eccentric, bizarre inhabitants of the great desolation. The prize waiting for him at the end of the chase, should he survive to reach the end, is one he will never guess at. While best known as the creator of the Muppets, Henson was a man of multiple gifts. More than two decades after his untimely death, Pérez has brought to life a little-known side of Henson’s storytelling skill. The story eschews extensive dialogue, making events dependent on Pérez’s ability to convey Henson’s vision. Instead of trying to merely make a movie storyboard, Pérez chooses to make this pure comics, using an animated style somewhat reminiscent of Darwyn Cooke and stunning coloring that uses different palettes—muted pastels or striking duotone—to tell the story. An eccentric oddity, lovingly rendered into a haunting story. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

It's not a new observation that life is simply an endless struggle with A) death and B) oneself, but here it is realized with graphic brilliance. A man named Mac enjoys an ebullient welcome from the populace of a small desert town until the sheriff sends him away with a knapsack, map, ten minutes' lead time, and two recommendations: if he can get to Eagle Mountain, he'll be safe; and don't trust the map. Clearly, Mac shouldn't trust anything else, either, since an avalanche of surrealistic, often comic near-disasters follows, e.g., knife-wielding Arabs, a football team, a lion, and explosions aplenty, all seemingly masterminded by a mysterious eye-patched fellow and his chilly blond friend. This adaptation of an unproduced screenplay by the late Henson and his writing parter Juhl (who died in 2005), combined with Perez's realistic art, entrains the eye with a beautiful, nearly wordless collage of colorful panels. Indeed, the trip is so fascinating that the destination may surprise, though it might be obvious in retrospect. VERDICT This startling glimpse into Henson's psyche draws on themes from his films (The Cube; Timepiece; Labyrinth) for a dramatic and existential reading experience. Recommended for adult and sophisticated teen fans of literary black humor.—M.C.

Library Journal

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